New York State Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to end New York City’s Gifted & Talented (G&T) programs for young children, which a racial justice advocacy group accused of exacerbating racial segregation in the city.
The March 2021 suit was brought against New York City in March 2021 by youth group IntegrateNYC on behalf of 13 students, who claimed to be victims of what they called a “caste system” reinforced by the city’s public education system.
The suing students wanted the court to eliminate the city’s G&T programs that offer accelerated education and additional resources for high-performing public school students in grades K through 5. They argued that the programs, while enrolling many white and Asian students, unfairly excluded their black and “Latinx” peers who didn’t perform so well in the high-stake entrance exams….